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Inter have one hand on the title, so to speak.Adriano may not have known much about MaiconÃ¢ÂÂs bullet-like cross, which nearly took his head off, but the ball was not travelling anywhere near the goal until his errant hand deflected it into the net.The fact that the referee and his assistant missed the incident is bad enough, but how can the Milan defenders and goalkeepers call themselves Italian footballers if they canÃ¢ÂÂt even muster the energy for a bit of referee bating?

Ã¢ÂÂI donÃ¢ÂÂt want to go to Chelsea,Ã¢ÂÂ the great man once sang. However, Carlo Ancelotti may have little choice come the summer.Cuddly Carlo is feeling a little hot under the collar ahead of the derby, as defeat would be curtains for AC Milan's title hopes and - to add insult to injury - just about hand the league to city rivals Inter.The last time he was under so much pressure to deliver was on the eve of the second Champions League semi-final meeting with the Nerazzurri in 2003.Back then it was the relatively benign Hector Cuper in charge of the opposition. This time around its Jose Mourinho, not noted for his benevolent nature.Then, waiting in the wings is the elegant Leonardo, who currently holds the rather grand title of Ã¢ÂÂtechnical directorÃ¢ÂÂ at the club. He's young, handsome and speaks four languages - what chance does Carlo have?

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SaturdayDeportivo (8th) vs Osasuna (17th)Now, La Liga Loca doesnÃ¢ÂÂt mean to start the latest edition of its regular Friday ramble on a big old downer. But, Merciful Zeus, is this weekendÃ¢ÂÂs serving of silage the worst set of fixtures ever? Or at least since the round of matches appeared for the first time last September?AlmerÃÂ­a vs Valladolid anyone? No? How about Numancia vs Mallorca?The round kicks off with Depor, a side that - to quote an acclaimed La Liga pundit this week: Ã¢ÂÂif they finish in the Champions League places then we may as well pack up and leaveÃ¢ÂÂ - against Osasuna, a team who are merrily set-piecing their way out of relegation trouble. LLL Prediction - Home winBetis (14th) vs Barcelona (1st)A sadly cynical La Liga Loca has a feeling that there were some sections of the visiting English media who were a tad disappointed that the international session in Seville was a happy-clappy affair with no reported racist nastiness. After all, the blog heard a story that some correspondents had contacted their colleagues in Spain to ask advice on which game they could go to last weekend to Ã¢ÂÂhear racist abuse.Ã¢ÂÂOn a similar vein, there is one club in Spain doing its best to chip away against another widespread prejudice in the global game... homophobia. Barcelona have launched SpainÃ¢ÂÂs first gay Ã¢ÂÂpeÃÂ±aÃ¢ÂÂ or fan club. The PBGL - or Gay and Lesbian Barcelona PeÃÂ±a - was opened last week and awarded a plaque on the outside wall of the Camp Nou. In an interview with Marca, peÃÂ±a president, Josep Ribes sympathised with one particular Real Madrid player who is perhaps the biggest target of all from supporters in the stands all over Spain. Ã¢ÂÂWhen they sing Ã¢ÂÂGuti, Guti, Guti, (expletive), I feel bad. Both for me and him. ItÃ¢ÂÂs just offensive.Ã¢ÂÂLLL Prediction - Away winValencia (4th) vs MÃÂ¡laga (7th)Ã¢ÂÂDum, dum, de, dumÃ¢ÂÂ... itÃ¢ÂÂs your wedding day... Ã¢ÂÂDum, dum, de, dumÃ¢ÂÂ... you are looking resplendent in your beautiful white dress.

SpainÃ¢ÂÂs superb 29-match unbeaten run began some two years ago with a 1-0 win over England, and continued last night with what was a fairly comfortable 2-0 victory at a sprightly SÃÂ¡nchez PizjuÃÂ¡n in Seville.

There is more than 11 reasons for us Brazilians to get excited again with the national team, who beat Italy as easy as pizza pie on Tuesday night at the Emirates Stadium.Robinho flying high, Ronaldinho returning to form, Elano proving once again that heÃ¢ÂÂs decisive when it counts (why can't this guy get a game at Manchester City?), Felipe Melo making a solid debut, and even Inter Milan mis-fit Adriano showing he still wants to shine for his country.